In a World Not So Bright
by X-Silent.Echo-X
Summary: Yamanaka Ino just wanted to be a good girl, go to school, and become a doctor. What she didn't plan on was getting wrapped up in the fast-pace world of wealth and power! Once she is in, there is no way out! Follow our normal collage student on her way to fame and fortune! What fun! Itaino Naruino ItaInoNaru NaruInoIta / AU/ Modern fic
1. Chapter 1

"_Welcome back, out dear viewers! If you are just joining us now, we have the exclusive interview with one of the most eligible heir in Tokyo! Look out men, your woman may just be running for the hills for this tall, dark, and handsome man after this!" The perky and bubbly gossip magazine reporter squealed to the cameraman and behind it all the people watching. "Who is he, you ask? None other than the oldest son of Uchiha Corporations, the amazingly smart, sexy and, wait for it –kind and respectful Itachi Uchiha!" _

"_You give me far too much credit, Sheri-san." The calm and dark tone was laced with the perfect amount of warmth and humbleness to make the badly-done bleach blonde swoon. _

"_Oh Please, Itachi-kun, don't me so modest! We all know how perfect you are!" The reporter gushed; tan skin glowing and her green eyes twinkled with anticipation. "So, I'll get straight to the part that we were all waiting for~! I am sure all of our watchers are dying to know!" _

"_Ask away." He willingly said, already relaxed in the expensive chair. _

"_Oh, Uchiha-san! While I want to, I must ask first," The girl giggled at his smirk. "In this cut-throat world, how do you survive?" The Uchiha did not give it a moment's thought._

"_By not getting my priorities missed up, is all." The short and simple answer made the girl nod in relation for the first time all interview. _

"_Now, the last question that all of our viewers have been listening for," She leaned forward. "Do you have anyone that had caught your eye? If not, has there ever been a girl in your life?" _

"_Only one girl had ever done such a thing, and she will always be important to me." The onyx eyed man leaned back calmly as the interviewer nearly fell out of her seat. "However, at this moment, I'm afraid to say that I do not." The heir smiled, and the interviewer lit up._

"_W-well, there you have it, ladies! The most eligible heir is available, and, without doubt, the most eligible bachelor as well!" The blushing interviewer said, "Until next time, I am Sheri Natalia, and this is 'In the Loop'!" _

"Yamanaka, turn off the TV and get back to work!" A cold voice thundered, waking the half-asleep, television watching blonde snap out of her though, dropping the half- eaten pockey stick to fall out of her mouth. She wiped the drool from the corner of her lips and wiped her eyes frantically. The older woman fixed a pin in her silver hair and fixed any visible wrinkled the outside world had brought on her kimono.

"Yes, Hitaswa-Dono, at once!" She shuffled to the boxes, finishing her work of separating the cloths for the Kimono's.

"Honestly, girl. You are hard working but you have the attention span of a pinball, I don't know what direction you will go next!" The girl couldn't tell if it was a complement or an insult, so she took it as a statement.

"I'm sorry, Hitaswa-Dono, it's just trying to keep my scholarship for the school I'm attending is nearly impossible!" The older woman turned off the television and sighed.

"You chose to attend the most prestigious school in Tokyo in a field that you have no interest in, of course you are going to be exhausted." The store had closed more than an hour ago, and the woman had barely realized the sleeping blond before she was about to lock up.

"I know that medice is something that I will never be interested in medicine, but…" The older woman showed her a look of sympathy. "I just want to make my father proud of me, you know?" She pulled out her wallet and stared at a picture of her, not even a month old, and her parents proudly displaying her to the camera. The older woman put a hand on her shoulder.

"He would be proud of you no matter what you chose to do." The blond smiled bitterly, standing up at her completed work.

"Yes, goodbye, Hitaswa-Dono." The blue eyes girl stepped out of the shop, and waved goodbye through the glass door. Turning, she rummaged through her bag and found her cell-phone.

"Two missed calls, huh?" She sighed; looking at the screen, pushing the phone to her ear, the girl distractedly listened to the message as she turned into a familiar alley.

"_Ino, you know I miss you. My parents are out on a business trip, and I was thinking about you." _ The young girl scowled at her ex's voice. The shallow man will not be named due to his little to no importance, and she just pressed the number seven on her touch screen. "_'Message deleted. Next message.' 'Ino-chan, where are you? I swung by your class but they said you weren't there? I'm worried. Call me back when you have the time, you're so spoiled." _ The sarcastic familiar voice rung in her ears, and the girl smiled happily. She quickly erased the message, and clicked to call said person.

"Hey, Naruto!" The blonde grinned to herself, turning out of the alley and into the street light.

"_Ino, I'm so mad! You promised me that you would buy me ramen for lunch! You had me worried that I was never going to eat!" _ The girl giggled at her friend. _"It's not funny, okay? I'm seriously about to die here!"_

"Don't worry, Naruto. I'll wing by your apartment on the way, and we will just order in."

"_Alright, but I won't forgive you the next time it happens!" _ The bleach-blonde girl laughed, hanging up before he could start ranting about his stomach. Putting the phone in her bag, she peacefully walked down the dark but well-lit streets. The blond stopped by a closed store windows and fixed her hair, the slight wind pulling a strand or two out of place; she frowned. Not at the fact that her hair simply could not be fixed, but the fact that she saw a shadow out of her eye.

She was being followed.

Rolling her porcelain looking eyes and fixing her North Face jacket, the girl sighed. She pulled something out of her pocket, a glove to be exact. It was leather, and had metal blade on the knuckles. The blade could be used as a razor or a blunt impact, her secret weapon the she developed herself. What she has to focus on is finding a place where her attacker will strike first.

The Yamanaka turned into yet another familiar alley, and before her pursuer had gotten the chance to see her, she turned into the shadows. The figure walked into the alley, then paused halfway to notice that their victim wasn't there.

"Looking for someone?" The light female voice rung in the man's ears. He looked up to see that she had climbed up the fire escape, and was sitting on the ledge. "Smile." The sickening sweet voice rung as a flash had consumed the man's eyes. Using the picture for later, she landed on him while he was still blinded by the contrast. Next thing the bearded man knew, she had a blade to his throat as the girl pinned him to the ground.

"Yes. I've got him between Desna Outlet and a Pastry Shop on 13 North dr. … Really? That soon? Awesome! I'll be waiting!" The blond hung up the phone with a smirk.

"You little bitch!" The older man struggled, but she had his hands down by her feet. "You could have enjoyed it to, ya' know." At this the girl twisted her sneakers, scratching his hands into the concrete slowly with a shaded look. The man hollered in pain.

"Worse than scum." The teenager smiled sickeningly, bringing the blade to the man's throat. "**Should** **I just crush you like the pathetic cock roach you are?**" Her voice did a strange transition, and the man looked at her in shock.

"You are fucking insane!" The middle-aged man squired, and the girl punched him with her glove covered hands. The action shut the man up as a line of blood began to flow down to his ears.

The blonde waited until the cops came, and the man seemed all too willing to get away for his alleged victim. Saying things like '_get me away from that mental psychopath!' _

"Thank you, Yamanaka." Ibiki, the chief of the division said, seeing as how this is the seventh man that the Yamanaka had turned in.

"Don't mention it." She smiled, putting her glove away. "Now, I have previous arrangements, so I must go." The man nodded, letting the girl go about her business as the last of the cops pulled off. Hearing her ringtone go off, she nervously laughed as the energetic voice thundered out her phone.

"_Ino-chan, I'm really about to come get you and drag you here myself!"_

"Actually, Naruto," Her soft, cracking voice came through as blue eyed beauty sat on a nearby bench. "Will you pick me up?" Noticing her voice, it was silent on the other end for a moment.

"…_I'll be right there, Ino." _


	2. Chapter 2

A orange painted card pulled up on the dark street, the headlights blinking the blond for a moment. The car in question was unmistakable and the blue eyed beauty covered her eyes from the contrast. The car came to a stop on the curb across from her, and the window rolled down.

"Yo, Pastel, you okay?" The driver leaned over to look out the window, one hand still on the wheel as the blue eyes met. The girl opened the door quietly as responding with no words. Of course he knew that she wasn't. The nickname of Pastel is a reference to her pale skin and hair, and the bolder blonde somehow knew that it was a full compliment, though she doesn't seem to take it that way.

"Ino, you can talk to me, you know." He said quietly as he pulled away, turning the car around on the empty street.

"It happened again, Naruto…" The younger female finally stated, although it was information that he already knew, he was glad that she was talking. Without his eyes leaving the front, he managed to reach a hand out, grabbing her pale and cold ones. He then noticed the short breaths she was taking, attempting to hold back the tears.

"You can talk to me." He repeated, assuring her; and the words where followed by his warm hands holding a bit tighter. To this day, she had never told him what happened on the night six years ago. Seemingly, the young adult was not about to tell him.

"And humans are entitled to their secrets." She whispered, finally grabbing his hand back. They then drove in silence, the bleach blond gazing out the window as the streetlight had been lighting up her face in a pattern.

Comfort.

Though the thoughts of the event bubbled to the surface, somehow the comfort of the lights in the street, the low hum of the engine, and most of all, and the worth that her friend's hand gave her, the warmth of his. This is what she was used to, but she seemed so selfish. So selfish that she couldn't give anything in return. Anything to make him smile more or give him the same warmth that she received every time that he held her hand.

"Ino…" The soft voice caused the girls eyes to flutter open. When had she fallen asleep? The unknown heir glanced down to see that their hands where still entwined, and the action made the boy in question quickly retract his hand, his calmness disappearing as he flushed. "A-ah, my bad, you fell asleep with your hand like that, so…"

The Yamanaka laughed, causing the bold haired blonde to get out to the car in a flustered manner. It was then that she realized that she was at his apartment, rather that hers. Just what was he planning? It was clearly past eleven by now and as unpredictable as he is, stupid is one thing he actually isn't.

The blond eyed beauty stepped out of the car, her purple Nike sneakers where exposed to the cold as she walked.

"Naruto, I know that I promised you take-in, but at this point wouldn't it be better if I just took you out for breakfast?" The girl rubbed her eyes, fixing her scarf as the bright yellow blond opened the door to his apartment. Dropping his black leather jacket on one of the stools of the island that was to the left of the door. Much to her shock, there was much more to be expected than what she thought.

As the girl scanned the room, she was shocked to see so many things. Not the dirty things that the boy constantly throwing around. No, these where different things. Much different.

Wrapped boxes had fully covered the boy's sofa and coffee table, all different shapes and sizes. Some glittered, some shined. Unable to move the bleach blond just stood in shock.

"Happy Birthday, Ino!" He said with a wide smile on his face as he put a hand on her shoulder. "Everyone came at lunch, but I forgot that you had work today so I couldn't get you in time." He laughed sheepishly and scratched the back of his head.

Much to his surprise, he felt arms wrap around him.

"Thank you, Naruto!" The blondes finally turned back to themselves, and the girl laughed and she jumped over to her gifts like a little kid. Tearing them apart, and making a noticeable mess on his floor, she smiled at the Abercrombie and Fitch outfit that she had received from Sakura. Putting it aside, she continued to open the mountain of gifts, Naruto promptly handed her a trash bag as it went on, and she went through the boxes. From Shikamaru, Chouji Tenten, Hinata, and then she began to realize something.

"Hey, Naruto, I may be selfish by asking, but…" She pointedly turned, only to see something two inches from her face. A box, to be exact, a small and bland colored box.

"Happy birthday, Ino." He said again, but this had a different tone to it. The girl slowly took it, opening it on its small latch. Her breath caught in her throat, and the tanned student nervously watched for a reaction. "…well…?"

"I-I love it, Naruto!" The heir gasped, finally able to spurt out words. The golden plated cosmos flower, small and delicate, attached to a thin chain. She held it in her hand before the two became hesitant in each other's presence.

"Erm, I'm glad." He grinned, breaking the silence. It seems as if the mind-reader was not at all hesitant to but it on, and once she did she couldn't stop twirling it between her two fingers.

"So, I still owe you that take out, right?" The two laughed a blush on both of their faces.

The blonde girl woke up, and soon noticed her surroundings. They had stayed up watching movies and eating the pizza that she had ordered for a very angry Italian man for calling 6 minutes before they closed. Turning her head, she then realized what she was laying on. Blinking and sitting up, she had realized that she was in his bed, but she was nowhere to be found. She was fully clothed, luckily, and the blonde had realized that she had kicked him out of his own bed in a fit of anger or taking the last of the pudding cups they had bought the day before.

"Shit, I'm late!" She realized, looking at the clock. Then the heir had heard a loud thud, coming from Naruto falling off the sofa in shock of the yell.

"Late for what, damn it!" He grouchily called back, rubbing his head.

"My lecture on Neurobiology!" Getting a set of clothes from her presents, the blond scurried for her bag and cell phone. Perhaps she can get one of her classmates to put it on the phone for her.

"Nerman-what-now?" The tanned boy groaned, looking at the clock. "Damn, it's only 7 in the morning, Pastel!" He took the blanket and covered her head. "Wake me up in five hours…" He said wearily.

"Dang it Naruto, why is it I'm always late to class when I stay over?!" The girl whined, putting on her belt as she took her spare toothbrush that she carries in her bag.

"…'Cause you …love me…" He tiredly answered, dazing in and out of consciousness.

The blonde froze and stared at the snoozing boy. Her cheeks had flushed and her lips turned into a pout as she picked up her keys. She whispers something as she closes the door, locking it behind her.

"More than you know, Naruto."


End file.
